The White Gem
by Schlub-Niggurath
Summary: Trapped in an underground nightmare, an Orc and Redguard try to complete their fetch-quest against all odds. But their plan goes awry when they discover more than just treasure among the Falmer infested Dwarven ruins. And when that discovery turns out to be a cute little Snow Elf, our adventurers might end up getting more than what they bargained for.
1. Where the worms lie

-Alright everyone, here's my second attempt at an Elder Scrolls fic (the first one I didn't end up liking too much). This time it's a different direction with some old characters being rehashed and new ones being introduced. I will at some point have the Dragonborn appearing, but they won't be the main protagonist of this tale and more of an encounter along the way for our heroes.

Side note: I made some minor tweaks here and there, so some of Skyrim's aspects like locations, characters, items, quests, etc. might differ from their video game/lore counterparts.

_The White Gem_

**Chapter one: Where the worms lie**

The Chaurus snapped its mandibles in one last vain attempt before the crude iron war axe was ripped from its bleeding skull. The chitinous invertebrate twitched its limbs as its body hit the ground dead in a fit of spasms. A heavy boot came crushing down on the corpse to cease its final death throes. An Orsimer Woman in banded iron armor gripped her blue-blood dripping weapon in hand and snarled to her companion.

"There's no end to these disgusting bugs, Enkide! They're around every corner!"

"Yeah well, I'm not too fond of their masters either!" The Redguard woman in leather gear snapped back, jamming her sword through a Falmer's neck. "Uruu, behind you!"

Another Chaurus, larger than the one first cut down, charges the Orcish warrior. The clicking beast has Uruu on her back, straining to lock its jagged jaws around her neck. It lunges and bites, but those big green muscular arms keep the Chaurus at bay.

Enkide shoves the Falmer Skulker trying to avenge its ally away from herself, and runs to assist her own companion. She jumps up with an iron sword unsheathed and plunges the blade deep into the screeching arthropod's back. The leather clad Redguard then rolls off just as the Orc chucks the dying Chaurus to the side. Uruu gets to her feet and hobbles to her recovering savior. The Skulker that was readying to jab Enkide with his poisoned blade, gets a sucker punch to the face that knocks the poor wretch off its feet.

Uruu makes her way to the writhing Falmer and caves its sternum in with a mighty stomp from her iron heel. The viscera and gore from beneath her foot has the Orsimer woman chuckling. She scrapes the remains onto a rock and goes to reclaim her weapon. The same cannot be said for Enkide who fumes at the shoddy work of whoever crafted her now bent blade.

"Ugh! And that was the only sword I brought too… you got a spare, Uruu?"

The Orc gives her a pitiful shake of the head and rips a Falmer war axe from their fallen foe.

"Hey, whaddya know, handle's still warm? Ya want? Heh-heh!"

"Fuck that! I'd sooner fight with Forsworn gear than put my faith in a weapon made from bug bits. I'll make do with this." Enkide proclaims while twirling her steel dagger back into a small sheath on her leather chest-piece. She looks around in the artificial glow of the subterranean world they have been trapped in and turns back to Uruu resting against a giant blue mushroom bigger than a tree.

The Orc suggest trying their luck at the elevator they came in and returning to the Alftand ruins where their journey began. Enkide pockets the Skulker's body for some gems and reminds the green goliath that it was a one-way trip. The elevator ascended without them and they were forced to explore this Falmer plagued underworld. The Blackreach.

Uruu gives a vexed groan, asking if they could not simply find an exit and return when they have better equipment. As it stands, neither of them brought a bow or know a lick about the arcane arts, let alone a basic restoration or destruction spell. That means the two small health potions Enkide has in her satchel and the single medium stamina potion her Orc friend is carrying will not be enough to carry them in a desperate situation. On top of that, their strongest weapon is now Uruu's iron war axe which has grown dull from beating on Chaurus chitin for the past three hours.

Their rations should hold them over for another day or two, but neither of them wants to be down in this nightmare realm any longer than necessary. And eating bug-meat is definitely not on their agenda. If that reward for retrieving this Dwarven relic was not so high, then the pair would have never even considered venturing this deep beneath Skyrim.

Enkide just sighs and beckons Uruu to follow. She can see the place where the that Dawnguard woman told them the relic and its treasures should be. The dangling sphere the size of a small moon is a dead giveaway.

"The Silent City, huh?" The Orc snorts. "If its so silent, then why in Oblivion is there like a dozen Falmer walking around?"

"Yeah that does looks pretty rough. Maybe we could try sneaking past them?"

Uruu jumps in front of the Redguard with a deadpan expression, clanking and clinking in her heavy iron armor.

"Oh yeah, lemme just sneak my big green metal-wearing ass, right passed the best ears in all of Skyrim. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Alright, it was a bad idea, I get it! Why you gotta be such an annoying bitch about it?"

"Cuz I like messing with ya. Heh-heh!"

Enkide frowns and slumps against a boulder. "Well if you got a better idea, then I'd love to hear it."

"As a matter of fact, I do."

The Orcish warrior motions for her to follow and they head for a path they came passed by earlier. They walk among the slain Falmer and Chaurus to stop in front of the main component to Uruu's master plan. When Enkide sees the ginormous Dwarven automaton waiting silently to be activated, she instantly says no.

"And you said my plan was stupid?" Enkide remarks while placing herself between the Orsimer woman and that button. "You're gonna get us killed, you dumb green bimbo!"

"Look, just here me out."

"I'm listening."

"We turn big boy over here on…"

"Ok."

"…lead it to the Falmer, and…"

"And?" The unimpressed Redguard questions with a raised brow.

"…and bam! A dozen flattened dirt elves coming right up! Ya can praise me now." Uruu boasts with a smug grin. She is somewhat startled at how quick Enkide is to go along with her hairbrained scheme and has to make sure her pointy ears did not deceive her.

Uruu heard right though, and as much as her friend would rather not be chased by an angry Dwemer machine into an equally pissed off Falmer horde, their options are limited. Enkide then tells the Orc that she better get a head start for the Silent City. Leading the lumbering metal monster will fall on her shoulders since it _was_ her plan in the first place.

The leather wearing Redguard slams the gilded button next to the Dwarven automaton and hightails it up the rocky hill behind it. Several bursts of steam erupt from the Centurion's body as the harness holding the machine upright unlatches all round. A thunderous footsteps has Uruu stepping back with a nervous smile. Enkide just waves back at her from atop the rocky pile, grinning and pointing to the distant city. Another thud from the approaching metal monster sends Uruu into a full on sprint.

The waddling behemoth keeps a good pace with the heavily armored Orc huffing and puffing for her life. Running just outside of the Centurion's vision is Enkide, who maintains the same speed with little effort. Uruu might be strong, but her stamina and endurance is laughably bad. Enkide almost feels sorry for her, almost. But the bridge to the Silent City draws near, and something as massive as a Centurion will not go unnoticed. Even by the blind Falmer.

A bellowing horn sounds once the bridge to the Dwarven city is in clear view. Arrows begin zipping passed Uruu and pinging off the automaton with no effect. It spews some more steam from its joints and breaks into a full on waddle. Uruu cusses her way onto the bridge while barely dodging arrows and working up a real sweat trying not to be rundown by the mountain of living metal behind her.

"Uruu! Here!" Enkide calls from the sealed, several meter-high gates.

The out of breath Orc thanks Malacath upon seeing the Redguard and uncorks her stamina potion for a quick boost. She races by Enkide and falls against the city walls to catch her breath. Uruu peaks over from her spot to see her friend planted firmly before the incoming Centurion, agitating the automaton by throwing small rocks.

"Get out of the way already will ya? It's coming!"

"Not yet."

"Enkide."

"Just a little more." She mutters as the giant machine exits the bridge and is less than few big steps from her.

"Enkide!"

"Now!"

The Redguard woman rolls at the last second just as the Centurion swings its warhammer-arm and breaches the gates in one swift motion. There is a tremendous uproar from the Falmer as they scatter. The duo enter shortly after to see the steam hissing Dwemer machine mowing down the confused and frightened corrupted elves with ease.

With the thick plated aminuculi buying them time, they skirt the massacre and go up a ramp. They get onto the city walls, guided by the bright glow of the orange globe dangling above and look around at the buildings. Enkide pulls the quest letter from her pocket and holds it up to read while Uruu takes care of some stragglers. She skims the Dwarven architecture until an old set of symbols catches her attention. Uruu covers their back with a well tossed shrieking Falmer and makes a hasty retreat as the blind savages regroup.

Enkide beckons to the Orc from a ledge, climbing quickly down a ladder as their enemies move in. The two adventurers slide to the bottom and run towards the marked Dwarven building. They soon get pelted by a barrage of poisoned arrows and Enkide hears a cry of pain from her companion.

The strong willed Orc yanks the arrow from her shoulder with a strained grunt, but the damage has been done and the debilitating concoction now flows in her blood. Just their luck. The slowest and most heavily armored of the two is the one that gets hit by a stamina draining potion. And a high leveled one at that, since Uruu begins limping right away and struggling for breath.

Uruu slumps against the double doors of a massive building that towers over all of the Silent City. At this rate, if the Falmer do not kill them then that Dwarven behemoth will. The stomping metal giant comes around a corner with blood stained arms. Behind the duo, a pack of varied leveled Falmer come flailing their weapons and growling native curses. Enkide has no other choice but to carry Uruu on her shoulder and into the large Dwemer structure. Thankfully its open and the pair enter just in time as the sound of Falmer lets them know that the automaton should be busy for a while.

"Ugh, fuck… Enkide? I feel like shit." The afflicted Orc whines.

"Yeah, you're not looking so hot. That poison's working quicker than I thought, and we don't exactly have any cures either."

"Where are we now? Is this the place?"

"I wish. It's just some random building I took us in. No way we'd make it with you limping like an old man." Enkide tells her with a grim expression.

"You go on ahead then."

"What? Uruu I'm not leaving you here."

The green skinned warrior props herself on a stone bench and removes her banded iron pauldron where the arrow pierced.

"I didn't mean leave me here to die ya stupid idiot. I meant go get that artifact without me. Maybe I'll be better by the time ya come back. I just need… some rest…"

"Right, you just rest up sister. I'll be back as soon as I can. And if I'm not-"

"Ya will." Uruu interrupts. "Ya will, and when ya do we can finally leave this shithole."

The Orc closes her eyes and lies back on the bench. Enkide pulls out her steel dagger and carefully pries one of the double doors open to peek outside. She looks back at her friend and promises to return.

Right in front of the building is an absolute massacre. The Centurion is nowhere in sight, but the distant cries of the Falmer tells her that its rampage is far from over. Enkide crouches at the body of what looks like a Nightprowler, a real badass ranking Falmer that they are lucky not to have fought directly. Even more so, those large soul gems spilling from its pockets could prove valuable in case they abandon the quest. Enkide decides to also carry one of their crudely made swords despite its grotesque appearance. Worse comes to worse, a mere dagger will not protect her.

She begins heading for her original destination a few buildings down. Two lowly Falmer block her way. One unranked wretch and a Skulker. Enkide dual wields her dagger and sword, crouching closer to her hapless targets. The higher ranking Falmer sniffs her out too late as it turns around to be stabbed in its exposed abdomen. She slices its throat with her smaller blade and kicks the body into the other now alerted Falmer.

The sword comes right between the monster's useless eye-slits and remains planted in the ground. She takes up another fresh weapon from her fallen foes and this time carries one of their war axes on her back.

She stands before the single door of the structure, secured by a lock too complex for someone of her caliber. Good thing this quest came with the key already. Sorine Jurard did not seem to mind parting with it as she said the key held no monetary value on its own. The relic it leads to is also only worth its weight in gold to someone like her anyhow. And for their sake, this thing better be as heavy as a Horker!

The door is unlocked and she makes her way inside before any more Falmer show up. She travels down a long and narrow hall ornamented with worn Dwarven tapestry and those bizarre looking faces the Dwarves are so found of putting everywhere. There are a few doors along the way, but all of them are locked and the key she carries now serves no other purpose.

It matters not, what they have been seeking lies just ahead. Sorine only described the artifact as something that could not be missed. A shiny, jewel encrusted staff mounted on a stand would definitely fit the bill. She takes the artifact without hesitation and prepares to run back to Uruu when the horrific sound of metal scrapping the solid floor comes from behind.

Not one, not two, but three! Three Dwarven Spheres coming rolling into view. Those locked doors were not rooms at all, they were traps housing the metal beasts. Of all the places for her to run into Spheres, it had to be this tight passage with one way in and one way out.

"Great, now what?" She says in vain to herself.

One glance back tells her that there really is no secret door or escape route. This looks it might be the end, regardless of how skilled she is in onehanded weapons, fighting three Dwarven Spheres in a space this small with the low level equipment she has is a death sentence.

The mechanical guards emerge from their balled up states as they coming speeding towards her with swords and crossbows for arms. Enkide stares at the staff that doomed her and prays to the divines that it shoots something like all other similar magical tools. She points and aims but nothing happens. The first Sphere is now a few meters away and its sharp blade closing in fast. Enkide sees the souls gem placed at the very tip of the staff and remembers the large ones she took off that Nightprowler. Maybe it simply did not have any juice left?

She chucks the empty soul gem out and plants a new one just as the mechanical warrior closes the distance. The Redguard screams, aims and fires. A burst of blue energy comes surging forth, arcing from Dwarven Sphere to Sphere and causing them to convulse violently. To her astonishment, the automatons now roll sluggishly and on top of that, the staff trembles with unbridled power. What if she fires it again?

Enkide is pushed back from the immense recoil of the second shot which is nothing like the first. It unleashes like a beam of raw magical power, hitting the Sphere with such force that the aminuculi disassembles dead on the spot. A fiendish smirk spreads across the adventurer's face as she aims the staff at the two remaining Spheres and fires away.

Pushing the entrance open with the artifact in both hands, Enkide walks through Dwemer city with her head held high. And as if right on cue, a group of fleeing Falmer run right passed her. Thundering not too far behind, is the Centurion with its sights now set on the Redguard woman. It rears back its mighty warhammer for a fatal swing and is struck by the same arcing blast of energy that its allies suffered. The blast staggers the metal titan who roars a gust of steam from its lifeless visage. Enkide slowly approaches with the charged staff and lets the real damage rip from the second shot as it did before. Not surprisingly, the Centurion drops to one knee rather than falling apart. She should have known it would not be this easy. The Dwemer machine is shot a third time for good measure and Enkide takes the opportunity to flee back to Uruu.

Or so she thought. To her horror, the double doors have been left open. She races inside to find her friend missing and drops of blood on the bench. Uruu must have gone further in to avoid being cornered by whoever attacked her.

Enkide proceeds cautiously and follows the blood trail to a spacious cathedral lined with two rows of stone seats, all facing the far end that appears to be an altar of sorts. There is at least one dead Falmer strung about the middle walkway, an iron war axe embedded in its chest.

She retrieves the weapon and enters one of two doorways on either side of the altar. The one with bloody handprints is probably where the Orc went. Enkide rushes through a hallway littered with debris and Uruu's split iron helmet on the ground.

Worried beyond belief, she runs till her lungs burn and her ears pick up the sounds of struggle. Enkide descends a series of stairs where she spots the ongoing battle below. Among a jungle of steam hissing Dwarven pipes, tubes and pumping pistons, is a trio of Falmer surrounding a bleeding Uruu backed up against a sealed off chamber.

"Uruu!"

"Enkide?! You're back?"

Her Redguard sister comes charging and shouting with a strange looking staff in hands. The Falmer turn their bald heads at the noise and are suddenly shocked by a jolt of energy. The pasty skinned, subterranean elves recover from the painful zapping with little more than a few burn marks. That was all the distraction Uruu needed to come from behind one unlucky Falmer and choke the creature into submission. The Falmer at her right tries to assist its ally, but is hit with an axe of its own design burying itself right in the corrupted Elf's back. Enkide runs up with a furious cry and slashes the final Falmer clean across its ugly mug with Uruu's own weapon. The Orc finishes off her own hostage with a snap of its neck between her biceps. She falls back onto the gated chamber and looks at Enkide with weary eyes.

"What did I tell ya? Are we the baddest bitches in Skyrim or what?" The out of breath Orc asks with lacerations all over her robust physique.

"By the Nine! Uruu you're losing blood like crazy!"

"I ain't got time to bleed."

"Don't be stupid, now open wide." Enkide commands while crouching low and popping open one of her small health potions. She holds the tiny flask to the Orc's lips and makes sure Uruu gulps down every last drop. But for wounds this deep, a potion of this size will not be enough to fully rejuvenate her. She digs through her satchel for the second and last one they have when a green hand stops her.

"Uruu?"

"It's the last one right?" The Orc inquires. "Save it. You might need it for yourself."

"I already told you, I'm not leaving you behind! You're life's worth more than some stupid staff. We're leaving this place together, you hear me? Now stop being stubborn and drink."

"What are ya, my mother?"

Uruu finishes the second potion as Enkide attempts to make tourniquets from her undershirt. The Orc warrior tenses up suddenly and grapples her startled friend to the floor. Enkide shouts angrily but quickly shuts up after seeing the Falmer spear that would have punched clean through her torso had she not been pushed out of the way seconds earlier.

"Enkide, we got trouble."

"Huh? Oh shit…"

Far atop the stairs where they entered, hunching over in that typical posture and donning a full set of Falmer heavy armor, is a Warmonger and at least a dozen of its lesser ranking brethren. It grabs a poison dripping Falmer battle axe from its back and raises the weapon high with a guttural hiss. The Warmonger leisurely walks down the steps as its army of weaker minions come scrambling towards the pair.

It would have been a difficult battle facing a Nightprowler even if she was better armed. The truth is, neither Enkide nor even Uruu if she was healed, stands a chance against a Falmer warrior of this magnitude and skill. Not including the horde of Falmer it also has backing it up. And the artifact already proved little more than a minor nuisance to non-Dwarven aminuculi. Enkide is at a loss, completely dumbfounded as Uruu gets to her feet and takes back her axe. She picks up the Falmer war axe as well and looks back.

"I can clear a path for you if you stun them first. But there's now way both of us are getting passed that Warmonger alive."

"No! There's gotta be another way!" Enkide tries to reassure herself.

"Well unless you can get that gate behind us open, this's the end sis."

"I'm not letting us die down here for some stupid staff you hear me?!" The pissed off Redguard screams, banging the artifact on the gated door and accidentally releasing a burst of arcing energy. It travels up to a crystal on at the very tip of the doorway before jumping to two other adjacent crystals on each side. The gated door opens.

"Alright on the count of three, I'll unleash my Berserker Rage after you-"

"Uruu. The door's open."

Wide eyed but relieved, the Orc drops the other axe and quickly follows Enkide into the chamber. A lever further in lets them seal off the entrance again just as the horde arrives with their leader emerging from the snarls of its minions. It tilts its helmet up and down the gated passage, those numerous eyes on the visor for pure show and instead, the Warmonger senses the obstacle ahead.

It grips one of the sturdy bars and almost appears to be looking in the adventurers general direction as if it could actually see them.

"You… will not… essssscape this placeeeeee… alive, groundwalkers."

"Yeah, I'd like to see ya try, ya fucking dirt Elf!" Uruu sneers back with her fist raised.

The Warmonger turns back and leaves with the rest of its troops shambling slowly behind. Enkide touches Uruu's shoulder and says they should look for another way out. After that chaos they started out there, no way is that Falmer letting them walk out the front door without a fight. The two thus continue to go deeper into the chamber. The system of metallic tubes and pipes becomes more and more elaborate the further the further they walk.

All the infrastructure leads to one room with a concave ceiling covered in what almost looks like glass. There are four staircases, including the one in front of them, all slightly rising towards the center. To the best of their knowledge, the two assume that what they are seeing is a group of four golden coffins. They decide to investigate this new finding and carefully step closer.

To their disappoint, they all seem broken and empty. All but one that still spews gas and has the silhouette of a being within.

"Hey Uruu, come here. This one's still got somebody in there."

"Yeah so?" The Orc replies after strutting over. "Not like they're gonna be alive or anything."

"I know that, but what if they got something worth taking, huh? You know that Dwemer nut's gonna be wetting her loins when she sees we got the relic. Imagine if we bring her back a little extra?"

"Now you're talking! Let's crack this baby open and see what goodies our dead friend's got for us."

They both choose a side at the metallic coffin hooked up to the tubes and hissing pistons. The glass covering the lid is frosted and makes it impossible to see clearly within. Enkide jams her dagger in the opening as Uruu does the same with her axe. The women lift in unison and the pressurized air shooting out makes them both jump back with a start. Uruu is the first to shoo away the cool gas and peer inside.

She can hardly believe the sight before her. It is a genuine, flesh and blood Snow Elf from the bygone age of the Dwarves. The body is small and childlike. And although the face is rather feminine and pretty, she can tell from her numerous travels that this one is indeed a male. His skin is pale like soft snow the day it first comes down. His pure white hair travels to his shoulders and looks way finer than the greasy manes they have. His lashes are long and his nose is as small as a button, resting above a set of dainty and thin looking lips.

"Uh, Uruu? You alright? You're… blushing?" Enkide points out.

"Wh-what? I was not! It's just that- the gas, it um, made me dizzy and- Shut up! Just help me loot him!"

Uruu furrows her brow and grabs the edges of the pod when Enkide tells her to wait.

"Sorry sister, but robbing the dead is one thing. I don't know how I feel about robbing the living. Look again."

"Whaddya talking about?"

"He's still breathing."

End note: If you're reading this as a fan of my other works, just know that this one will be more tame and adventure orientated.


	2. Ascension

Side note: This one's a little rushed, but I'll definitely have some edits done by the time chapter three rolls out I swear by the Nine!

**Chapter two: Ascension**

Both Uruu and Enkide stepped back, mouths gaping and eyes bulging at the sight before them. The little Snow Elf stirred with a groan and several blinks around his Dwarven coffin. He opened his eyes to see the two adventurers staring back at him with an equal amount of curiosity.

The bigger one with the iron armor and green skin must be an Orsimer, while the other leather clad woman is a race of Men he has not yet seen. Their silent showdown ends abruptly when he tries stepping out of the metallic container. The Orcish woman brands her weapon of choice and holds the iron war axe in his direction. He speaks strange words that only seem to irritate Uruu and has Enkide on edge as well.

"Not another step, Elf!"

"Uruu hold on, don't do anything hasty. It's just a kid." Enkide assures to calm her friend.

"I dunno what this little runt's saying, but he keeps repeating the same thing and looking at me… I don't like it."

The small, pale skinned Elf darts his golden eyes from the dark-skinned woman to the brawny Orc, watching them bicker with worry. He nervously adjusts his fine, white clothing that bears a striking resemblance to that of the Dunmer robes of the House Telvanni, with the exception of a hoodie on back.

He speaks again, the same name, and cautiously steps towards Uruu when the big Orc rears her axe back.

"_Orga Rokburon? Orga? Em et se non? Se non!"_

"Uruu control yourself dammit!" Enkide shouts.

"But he's getting closer!"

"Don't you hear what he's saying?"

Uruu gives her friend an unamused frown, "Yeah, I'm listening but I ain't understanding. Sounds like a name?"

"Exactly!" Enkide comes next to her as they both put away their weapons. "I don't know what he's saying either, but I think he's confusing you for somebody that he knows. Or used to know in this case."

"Whaddya mean by that?"

"I'm saying that maybe he's been in that Dwarf machine for longer than he knows. Think about it. You heard of the Night of Tears, right? Ysgramor and his five-hundred buddies came back for revenge and nearly drove all the Snow Elves to extinction. No one's seen one since. And that's what, the Merethic Era? Before even the First?"

"Alright it's long time, I get! But so what? Why should we care?" Uruu gripes back.

"Because of treasure that's why! He was probably here before this place turned into dirt Elf paradise. Maybe he knows a thing or two?"

Uruu is still skeptical, but she cannot deny the allure of hidden loot. Though communicating with someone that speaks a long-since forgotten tongue, is easier said than done. She asks Enkide how they plan to even get around that little dilemma.

The Redguard props her foot on the edge of the pod and looks at the confused Snow Elf. She knows that the College of Winterhold might have some spell that could help, but leaving the Blackreach and then going all the way North of Skyrim would take weeks. She wants her reward now. And with this artifact that makes short work of any Dwarven animunculi, all they have to watch out for now are the Falmer. Oh right, and that Warmonger that Uruu pissed off is also wandering around, most likely waiting for them to leave this chamber's safety.

"Ok, here's the plan." Enkide announces, getting both the Orc and Elf's attention. "I'd really like to stay and see what else we can find, but you and me both know we don't have the supplies or weapons to defend ourselves. If it wasn't for this old staff opening that gate back there, we'd be dead Uruu. You know I'm right."

"Whaddya suggesting? We cut our losses and run?" Uruu asks.

"Yeah, I say we claim the coin from Jurard and come back with better gear, kick that Warmonger's ass, and pick this place clean. Maybe find a way to get the Elf talking while we're at it."

"Sounds like a plan. Lemme just tie him up so- hey! Where do you think you're going?"

The little Snow Elf had made his way to one of the four doors around the chamber that was directly across from the one they had entered. He turned around to see the massive Orc running at full speed and tried to flee. Uruu chuckled as he tripped on his own robe and fell flat on his stomach. She towered over him with her impressive frame and looked at his cowering form. He shielded himself with both arms and curled his knees, shutting his eyes to mumble something in that old Elvish tongue. He looked absolutely helpless. It made Uruu bare her teeth and tusks with a wicked grin. She had the strangest urge to lunge at him.

Her malicious thoughts were suddenly dispersed by Enkide tossing her a bit of rope from her satchel. Uruu shook her head and bent one knee to tie the frightened Snow Elf's wrist together. He put up no resistance whatsoever and gave his full cooperation. Even so, that did not stop the Orc from tightening the rope around his hands till he cringed from discomfort. She then yanked him forward and made the little Elf fall again, this time right at her feet.

He looked up and repeated that name again. His eyes held the faintest glimmer of hope despite his situation. It stirred Uruu's innermost, dark thoughts. She wondered what his face would look like if she pushed him around a little, maybe tugged his hair or pinched that silky skin too.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing sis?" Enkide asked while trotting over.

"Huh? I was just making sure he's secure. Don't want him running away again, now do we?"

"That's all fine and dandy, but don't be knocking him over like that. We're not bandits and he's not our slave. This's just a precaution, so ease up."

Enkide took the rope from her friend's hands with a frown at how tight they were around this tiny Elf's wrists. She loosened them and noticed from the corner of her eye the weak smile he was giving her. When the Redguard smiled back, he said what she could only assume must have been words of gratitude in his language.

She helped him on his feet and looked at Uruu. The big Orc was pouting, arms crossed and clearly irritated by her friend's gesture of kindness. What Enkide did not know, was that Uruu was not upset by her gentle disposition to the Elf, rather she is bothered that now he sees her as the bad one. The heavily armored warrior snorted and took the lead without a second glance back. Enkide just rolled her eyes and the little Snow Elf stared at Uruu with mild concern.

It was obvious that an ambush awaited them back at the chamber's entrance, but a quick survey of the other three doors did not hold as much promise. The one at their right had caved in and the left had a master lock that neither of them could possibly hope to pick with their novice skills. Uruu opted for the door that the little Elf had tried fleeing to and is pleased to see it unlocked and mostly uncluttered.

As they walk through uncharted territory, their captive keeps his distance from the big bad Orc. Enkide snickers at how much the Elf seems to be annoying Uruu. And best of all, she is the one that started it. Uruu does her best to ignore him, but when she does, those golden eyes of his go back to stealing quick glances at her. She eventually has enough of his persistent peeping from behind Enkide and threatens to clobber him.

"He's really getting to you, huh sis?"

Uruu's lips twitch with a snarl and she narrows her glare at him.

"Little runt's just asking for it…"

"For what? Staring? C'mon, if that's the problem then you'd have gotten us kicked out of every tavern in all nine Holds by now," Enkide points out before her face forms a wide grin. "…Hey, maybe you finally found somebody that actually likes your ugly mug! Ha-ha!"

"How's about I clobber the both of ya instead? Eh?"

Despite her claim, the large Orc backs down and silently walks ahead of them. Enkide has never seen Uruu give up without a fight, even in something as petty as this. She takes a look at the sweet-faced little Elf, who beams up at her, and comes to a solid conclusion. It was merely speculation, but after seeing how her sister has been acting since they met him, there is no doubt in her mind. In all their journeys throughout Skyrim, it was rare for her buff and tough Orc buddy to take interest in any guys whatsoever. The few times she did get the slightest hint that Uruu's eyes lingered longer then necessary, was at the Winking Skeever. A certain wandering Bosmer bard caught her attention with more than just his songs. And comparing that Elf to the one they have here, her preferences are pretty easy to spot. She wants them short and cute.

As amusing as it would be to watch Uruu scare away another guy, now is not the place and certainly not the time to tease her for it. A turn around a corner shows them what awaits the inattentive. Two skeletons lie torn apart on a large stretching hallway with a peculiar line traveling down the middle.

Uruu's mind must still be wandering because she foolishly treads on a pressure plate halfway across. They all see a bar rise vertically ahead of them and Enkide shouts that there is one behind them as well. Both erected shafts reveal twin blades spanning outwards. They begin spinning and advancing towards them with great speed. The height of the rotating traps are too low for them to duck, their only option is to jump.

Enkide shoves the little Elf into Uruu's arms and tells the Orc to follow her lead. She runs right at the spinning blades and leaps clean over the trap without a scratch. Enkide turns back and orders Uruu to throw her the kid, to which the iron-clad adventurer hurdles with ease. It then comes her turn to jump the quickly approaching blade. Uruu came bounding towards the trap just like Enkide, but hopped the obstacle a second too early. She knew immediately from the shooting pain of sliced flesh that something went wrong and staggered onto her knees. A look back showed her blood trickling from two slashes at the back of her thighs, where her armor does not cover.

The cuts are not deep Enkide assures, but the last health potion barely healed her prior wounds. Administering another so soon would put unnecessary strain on her body that needs rest as well. Uruu simply snarls from the pain and barks at Enkide to just give her the potion anyway. Her friend uncorks the small flask and goes to hand it over when that little Snow Elf kneels right at the Orc's injured legs. He puts his palms over the bleeding gashes and surprises both women with a burst of golden magicka. And not only is he preforming a restoration spell, but an advanced leveled one at that too. The pain and cuts are gone in seconds.

"Uh, thanks?" Uruu replied with a stunned look.

"_Orga vela, em et se non! Alnun uus!"_

"Would ya pipe down already? I'm fine- "

"_Orga em et se non! Alnun uus!" _The small Elf repeated in a softer tone, his hands touching where her wounds once bled. He sunk his fingers into the tough, yet springy meat of her thighs and sent shivers up her spine.

"Hey whaddya think yer d-doing back there?!"

"_Nuf herrn, Orga vela."_

Uruu felt a sudden jolt of pure bliss surging through her. She could barely stand as those small hands kneaded her muscular legs. But the sensation faded quickly after those magical hands disappeared, and left Uruu more annoyed than anything else.

Enkide rushed over to haul the Elf away and reminded her mean-faced friend that her wounds were just taken care of and then some. Uruu stands with a shake of each leg and agrees that her legs feel even better than before. It was as if his hands sapped all the fatigue and stress from her lower half. The iron armored adventurer gathered her equipment with a scrutinizing glance their little healer's way and said to keep pushing on.

They passed an elevated stairway with more pressure plates and traps waiting to be sprung. Uruu thankfully did not trigger any of them this time and the trio made it to the other side unscathed. A large double door awaited them and beyond that was a large foyer of sorts. The hissing of pipes and thumping of pistons filled the room. There was a dividing wall at their right that had sectioned windows like a clerk's booth and some of them even still had the goods of their trade. Enkide stashed the few Dwemer metal ingots and scattered septims in her satchel while Uruu looked for a way out. The small Elf stood in a corner near some large tubes and just made himself look as small as possible.

The two women soon found the barred gate that separated them from the room on the other side which held a promising doorway going up. Uruu asked if the lock could be picked but Enkide sighed and told her that only a key could get them through. And without any receptive crystals to blast, their staff would not get them past either. Uruu was going to suggest climbing over until she saw that the top was also barred. Enkide too had an idea of squeezing through the clerk windows yet knew that neither of them could fit. Only someone as big as a child could possibly hope to…

"Wait, just how do we know he ain't gonna try to get away first chance he gets sister?" Uruu asks with a glance at their Elf.

"I don't, but it's either we send him over and hope for the best, or we go all the way back from where we entered. And right now I don't think the Silent City is so silent anymore thanks to us."

With a grumble and groan, Uruu corned their little captive. She growled at him to move and grew angrier when he did not obey. She was prepared to drag him by his tied hands and stopped after considering Enkide's words. It would not be very wise to mistreat someone and then expect them not to run the first chance they get. The large Orc takes him by his bound wrists and urges him forward with gentle tugs. The little Elf understands and follows closely behind. He once again repeats those same words he has said numerous times now and gets no more than a stare from Uruu.

Enkide is the one that shows him the locked door and does her best through hand gestures that she wants him to open it up for them. To their amazement, the Elf nods. That makes both adventurers question whether he has been able to comprehend their common tongue since they met. But they do not have time to test this theory however, a myriad of growls and other vile sounds come from the hallways behind them. The Dwemer lights along the walls cast horrible shadows that could belong to no other monstrosities but the Falmer themselves.

They see one appear from around the corner, followed by several more and so forth. Enkide picks the Elf up and shoves him through the clerk window. She points to the door with great urgency and gets the little guy to run over to see what he can do. Looking back, the Falmer come hissing and snarling with swords and shields, arrows and even magic of their own.

Uruu pulls out her iron war axe and gives a sonorous war cry. Enkide steps back, knowing that her companion is no longer of sane mind. She watches the black aura consume Uruu's flesh and almost feels sorry for the dirt Elves. A rage fueled Orc is one thing, but a rage fueled Uruu is an entirely different story all together.

The two sides clash in the foyer, lowly Falmer warriors trying to overpower the madden Orc and an spark zapping Gloomlurker taking on Enkide one on one. Without any magicka based abilities of her own, the sparks sure do hurt, but they pose less threat than fire or ice. Even less so since Uruu is the one wearing the highly conductive metal armor and not her.

Enkide shrugs off the painful stream of electrical currents and dives under the Gloomlurker's thrusting blade. She grapples its arm, hurling the Falmer over her shoulder and flat on its back. Her steel dagger came down onto the stone floor as the dirt Elf rolled away. Enkide kicked its blade to the side and then slashed the subterranean beast across its hideous face.

The Gloomlurker howled and let rip another surge of sparks to push the Redguard back. Enkide found herself on the ground after another lowly Falmer jumped on her back. She turned to see Uruu surrounded by at least five of them, a body count of four already at the Orc's feet. Regardless, Enkide spots another incoming horde of seven or so individuals. She cannot find the little Elf from her pinned position and assumes he left to save his own hide. The Falmer atop her grabs a fistful of her hair to hold her in place as she looks up to see the Gloomlurker coming to finish what it started. It retrieves its blade, hobbling over to deliver the fatal blow.

A burst of red gushes in front of her and Enkide blinks her eyes in disbelief that it is not her own. The Gloomlurker goes rigid, body twitching and gurgling blood. Enkide witnesses the dying Falmer get raised off the ground and turned over to be inspected by one truly colossal Frost Atronach. The 3 meter ice giant wastes no more time on the dead dirt Elf in its large, conical arm and throws the corpse over the group attacking Uruu. The whole display gives Enkide the time she needs to escape and kill the other Falmer. She crawls aside to clutch the ancient staff in her hands as the lumbering Atronach stomps passed, showing no interest in her at all.

Uruu sees the elemental behemoth approaching and chops her way out of the Falmer horde just as their reinforcements arrive. She runs over to help Enkide stand, her boiling blood calming and her rage fleeting.

"Where in Oblivion did that thing come from?" Uruu asks through hurried breaths.

"Don't know, don't care," Enkide says, pointing to the barred gate that has been ripped open. "Let's just get outta here!"

They leave the Frost Atronach to deal with the Falmer pouring in behind them and find the little Snow Elf waiting for them on the other side by that door. Enkide notes that he looks happy to see them, though that quickly changes when Uruu throws him over her shoulder to carry like a damsel in distress.

Uruu kicks the door open and the two adventurers set off into yet another portion of unexplored Dwarven ruins. And after many more halls, rooms, Dwemer animunculi and Falmer, they return to the spacious world beneath theirs that is the Blackreach. They pop out on top of a tower overlooking this underworld and see a clearly distinguishable lift just across the bridge ahead. A bridge with some less than friendly faces defending it.

Enkide takes Uruu's iron war axe and carves their path, sending the corrupted Elves to their deaths far down below. They reach the lift right as a few Chaurus Hunters come buzzing to investigate all the commotion. The massive, overgrown insects crash into the rising gate that Enkide activated along with the lift. It takes the adventurers and their loot all the way back to the surface. All the way back up to Skyrim.

They had departed from the Great Lift at Raldbthar and were now journeying through the Pale, east of Dawnstar and west of Windhelm. Uruu was not as familiar with the northern reaches of Skyrim and let Enkide decide which Hold was nearest. Windhelm won by a unanimous vote and the two ventured through the snowy landscape. The little Snow Elf kept quiet and simply stared in awe at the world above that he had been absent from for more than a millennium.

Uruu grew tired of carrying him and eventually let the giddy Elf down. His first instinct was to frolic among the vast frozen wilderness around him, but a pull from his bound wrists reminded him of his place. They had passed Anga's mill a little while back and soon saw Windhelm's great walls on the horizon. The Redguard and Orc were crossing the smaller bridge in front of the Talos shrine when another unbelievable sight caught their eyes. A shadow darkened the land as a beast of unfathomable power flew overhead, bellowing a deep roar that traveled far.

"Malacath be damned!" Uruu shouted.

"That's impossible… there's no way…" Enkide muttered.

"_Droga! Droga!" _The little Elf exclaimed.

An enormous black dragon flew by. It was heading right for Kynesgrove. The stupefied duo and amazed Elf did not move till that immortal child of Akatosh was gone. Enkide was speechless and Uruu was still trying to process what she had just seen. They had heard the rumors in Riften a week before their trip, that Helgen had been attacked by a one such legendary beast, but dismissed them as just that, rumors. There is no dismissing this however. First they find this thousands of year old Snow Elf and now Dragons have returned as well? What next, an Akavir invasion?

Not being their problem or concern however, the trio cross the large Windhelm bridge by the stables and prepare to enter Jarl Ulfric's city. Enkide stops them before arriving at the Hold's gates and has Uruu remove the Elf's wrist restraints. Slavery is not officially recognized in Nord lands and thus, could lead to unnecessary questioning that might reveal more than the two adventurers would like. Enkide goes first, knowing that speech is not Uruu's specialty.

"Hold it there!" The Windhelm guard commands with a hand raised. "What business do you have here?"

"Since when did the city-watch start stopping every poor bastard looking for a warm bed, and maybe a belly full of mead? C'mon guys, we're just a couple adventurers looking for a place to stay the night. That's all."

The guard looks at his partner who shrugs and then back to the trio.

"Sorry, we just can't be too careful. Plenty of people want Ulfric dead for what he's done, and now there's talk of dragons? World's gone mad I'd say. The war's bad enough."

"Well I say good riddance," Enkide announces with a smug grin. "High King Torygg didn't care about the people, just another puppet of the Thalmor is what he was. I say things are changing for the better."

"Ha-ha! Well said there, sister! Now why don't you folks head on in, huh? It's chilly out here and I'm sure Candlehearth Hall's got a bed or two to spare."

Enkide thanked him and motion for her friend and their captive to enter. The guards did think the little Elf looked strangely pale, almost like a vampire, but thought nothing of it since he was so small.

The three entered the Hold around sunset and came right upon two Nords harassing some Dunmer woman. Enkide cocked an eyebrow but made nothing of it. Uruu did not even bat an eye in their direction. The Snow Elf however, looked on. The tone of the Nords' voices was harsh enough for him to understand their disgust. It reminded him of his own servitude, yet his memories were still fuzzy.

They soon entered the tavern of Candlehearth Hall. Elda Early-Dawn greeted them with a smile and then a puzzled turn of her head. The Nord proprietor had never seen a stranger group of customers walk in here before. One shady looking Redguard, a massive Orc and one rather cute little Elf. The leather wearing Redguard woman asked if she had any rooms available for three beds at least. Elda offered her the first one on the right, twenty septims upfront. She says the Elf can stay free of charge because there is only two beds.

Saving coin is always welcome in Enkide's book and she buys the room for one night, not even thinking about where the Elf plans to sleep. She is more focused on her sister eyeing the bar and gives her a shove forward to keep things moving. The last time Uruu got wasted, it took four Hold guards to bring her down. They still have that bounty in Solitude to pay off and have yet to return as a result.

"I'll take it easy this time, I swear. Just one keg."

"No. I'm gonna order us dinner while you go wait in the room, and if I catch you with so much as single drop of mead or ale-" Enkide threatens as Uruu interjects.

"What are ya, my mother?"

"Uruu. Please. Just this once, try to stay somber for one night?"

"…Fine. But I wanna get hammered the minute this quest's done! And none of that cheap shit either, top shelf booze only!"

"Deal."

Enkide sighs, still not one-hundred percent convinced but leaves to give Elda their order anyway. The Orcish woman was about to sneak upstairs to the Great hall and shakedown some desperate chump for his drink when in mid-scheme, that little Elf walked into her and Uruu remembered that she was on babysitting duty.

He tilts his worried visage up to meet her cold gaze and does not hear that harsh voice berate him. Instead, the green skinned warrior grumbles and flicks her wrist for him to follow. Closing the door behind them, Uruu goes to throw Enkide's satchel in a corner and places the linen wrapped artifact on a shelf. It was her sister's idea to bundle up the staff and prevent wandering eyes from looking at their prize. She then begins removing her banded iron armor, mourning the loss of her helmet and forgetting about her audience for a moment.

The little Snow Elf's cheeks become rosy with color as he slaps his palms against his face to avoid peeping. Needless to say, he parts his fingers to see through them all the same. Uruu is done with her cuirass and pauldrons, removing her gauntlets and only then, does the Orc realize just how intensely he was staring.

Seeing him turn all red and shaky-legged only makes Uruu want to keep teasing him even more. But the short Elf spins around to not stare and gives Uruu an even better idea. He hears her heavy footsteps coming across the rickety floorboards and tenses up. Her very presence now radiates from behind him. His nose twitches at her musky odor and his skin ripples with bumps from the heat coming off her. He lets out a tiny gasp as a hefty weight falls on both his shoulders and engulfs his entire head from both sides. His eyes zoom from left to right at the large and soft masses of flesh conforming around him. He takes a peek upwards and finds that big Orc staring down at him with a smug grin.

He falls on his butt in an attempt to get away and sees what Uruu had squished around his head. Her enormous, melon-sized breasts trapped in one very tight and small bra, were just about to smother him completely. She gives a hearty laugh at his misfortune, letting the little Elf gaze at her bountiful figure for even longer. Uruu's imposing seven-foot tall body is not the muscular tower of power that the little Elf initially thought. Her arms may be strong, abdominals firm and thighs ripped with muscle, but her hips are also wide and that chest undeniably soft.

Uruu does not sport that typical Orc nose either, having a more human face overall with less prominent tusks and sharp blue eyes. She has ginger hair that is styled as a short and messy bobcut that hides the edges of her cheekbones and pointy ears. On top of all that, there are scars decorating random parts of her figure. The little Elf does not dare lower his gaze to her nether regions, if she does have undergarments on.

"Relax ya whelp, I'm decent. Ya can look." The Orcish woman says, appearing with a worn undershirt and patchworked pants.

"_Orga vela, hem gorr neb?"_

"Ya know, not many men have seen me so bare and lived to tell the tale. But I'll make an exception if ya let me feel those magic hands of yers again."

Not fully able to comprehend her, he looks on in bewilderment. Uruu however, is well versed in the universal bartering techniques known to work on all men, or the ones that swing their swords straight at least. She crouches to his level, grabs him by the wrist and plants his little hand over her shirt. It sinks into the meaty fullness of her bosom and has the tiny Snow Elf wide eyed and struggling for words. He looks at her as if begging for approval and Uruu puts up one finger and just one finger only. She wags it back and forth, before poking his own chest and pushing him away. The little Elf sees her massaging her own shoulder with one hand and then points back to him. He races behind her in an instant and begins kneading her neck and shoulder muscles without delay. Uruu is seated on the large twin-bed, that little Elf on his knees behind her and working out every knot in her back.

She clenches her teeth to stop her voice from escaping, but fails to hold in her soft whines of relief. Uruu unintentionally juts her enormous backside out in her squirms of pleasure, pressing that huge and shapely Orc bottom all over his lower half.

"Ooooh, right there… just like that. Work those little magic hands ya runt."

"_Orga Rokburon… gonir em et u-unon!" _

He continued to release the tension in all of Uruu's back till a knock came at the door. It was Elda telling them that dinner was almost ready and Enkide was waiting. Uruu responded with a growl that told the Nord inn owner to beat it. She threw off her little masseuse and found him right back at her side seconds later. Uruu laughed with a big hand ruffling his silver hair and led him out the door and to the Great Hall on the second floor.

They sat with Enkide and ate the usual Nord culinary delights, roasted goat leg, cooked rabbit haunch, grilled pheasant breasts, various wheels of cheese, bread, and a few vegetables that took some convincing for Uruu to eat. And as tempting as it would be to tell the heroic epic of their underground travels to the other adventurers, they must turn in early if they wish to rise before the sun. The walk to Riften will be at least a four day journey and filled with many perils along the way. They can just add dragons to the list of dangers that already plague Skyrim's roads.

Finishing up their meals and returning to the room with full bellies, neither Enkide nor Uruu gave it any thought to which bed they would plop into for the night. It was as Elda said earlier, there were only two beds. A single and a double. Uruu being the bigger of the two, naturally made her way over and collapsed into the bigger bed. Her sister was about to join her when the big Orc put up a hand and stopped her.

"Sorry sister, that spots reserved."

"Huh? By who?" Enkide questioned, stunned to see the little Elf clambering in next to Uruu and getting cozy under the covers.

"By our latest addition to the team, that's who. Now quit yer bitching and get in the other bed. I ain't in the mood."

"Ugh, whatever. Just try not to crush him in your sleep. Nobody deserves to go out like that."

"Fuck off."

Enkide snickered like a child, somewhat relieved that she does not have to share a bed with her. If there is one thing she hates about Uruu aside from her bad attitude, is sleeping together. Whether subconscious or not, the big Orc is one mean snuggle monster. Woe to the unlucky that get trapped in her steel grip, because once she has you, there is no escaping. Enkide just yawns and wonders if the little Elf knows what he is getting himself into.

End note: If anyone's wondering, the yet to be named little Snow Elf is not speaking an official Elder Scrolls language, so you'll just have to wait till next chapter to find out what he's been saying this whole time. I should also give fair warning, there will eventually be some lewd content so if that's not you're thing don't worry, I'll mention it at the beginning of the chapter as a heads up.


	3. Here There Be Giants

Side note: Sorry for the delay folks, but here's a little something to hold you guys over till the next one! Enjoy!

**Chapter three: Here There Be Giants **

_Day one, Tirdas_

Before the sun itself had even risen and the dawn began peeking over the horizon, Enkide had awoken with a groggy yawn. She rolled near the edge of the cot till her feet touched the ground. The sleepy-eyed Redguard woman stumbled forward and rubbed her sockets to peer around the dark room. Enkide eventually adjusted her eyes well enough to catch a glimpse of two big green feet hanging off the double bed at the center of the room. Traveling further up, she found two even bigger mounds of the same color and realized it was her sister's fat bottom.

Uruu was still snoring soundly when Enkide made her way over and gave one of those tremendous cheeks a hard slap. And with the Orc's huge rump devouring her simple underwear and leaving plenty of bare skin exposed, the snoozing warrior definitely felt it. Enkide then heard a groan that sounded awfully muffled, which she thought was odd considering the big Orc was still snoring. The smack did little to fully rouse Uruu from her sleep and was more of an annoyance than a wake up call. So that begged the question, who was groaning?

It soon dawned on the Redguard woman that their little magic caster was nowhere in sight. Enkide moved with lightning speed to roll her massive friend aside and was relived to find the diminutive Snow Elf still breathing and very much alive. A bit too alive.

She managed to get just a glimpse before he closed his legs and his hands obscured his robes. Enkide was skeptical because it was dark and the image was brief, but she swears there was what looked like a tail of sorts. Did Snow Elves have tails? It was a mystery for sure as Falmer were far too devolved to be compared too. And with those heavy mage robes, there was no telling what their little cute-faced Elf was hiding under them. There was one thing she was sure about, and she almost laughed aloud at the absurdity of it. The mere notion was ludicrous and downright perverted to even consider. In that split-second, it almost like he was packing some serious man-meat down there.

'_Shit, I know it's been a while since I've had a tumble in the sheets, but I must be stupid horny to actually think some nonsense like that. C'mon girl, get it together! Finish this quest first and then find yourself some buff and gruff Nord to fool around with.'_

The small Elf kept his legs tucked and looked at Enkide with eyes that exuded pure guilt. She thought he seemed a bit too relaxed for someone that was getting smushed under several hundred pounds of Orc muscle. She did not dwell on the strange thought for too long and decided to give Uruu's bottom another firm slap. This time, the green giant gave a growl as she came to life.

She rose onto her knees and stretched her arms upwards, flexing her muscular core and parting her strong thighs. Enkide lit some candles in the meantime and told her sister to get armored up. Uruu blinked her tired eyes open and complained about her rather rude awakening. She was about to make another comment when she caught that little Elf staring. He quickly averted his gaze and remained posed as if he were a kneeling servant. Uruu crawled over in her undergarments, studying the small mage's flustered face carefully. She gave him a toothy grin that seemed out of the ordinary to Enkide.

Something about Uruu's disposition to the small Snow Elf was different. Enkide knew it began yesterday with her insisting that he share a bed with her instead. There was no doubt that this little mage was just her type, of that much she was certain. The problem was that Uruu has no concept of subtlety. Like most Orcs, she was blunt and straight to the point. Even worse, she never learned how to hold back. Uruu's thirst for blood on the battlefield was rivaled only by her insatiable lust in the bedroom. Not one man has left her clutches unscathed, unbruised and at the very worst, unbroken. The Divines have mercy on the little Elf, because Uruu will not. That is, if she ever got the chance.

"So you plan on staying in bed all day or what you lazy Horker? C'mon get up!" Enkide taunted.

"What crawled up yer ass and died, huh? Awfully pushy this morning, don't ya think sis?"

"In case you already forgot, we gotta go all the way down to Fort Dawnguard. On foot."

Uruu raised a brow and scratched her scalp, "Oh that's right, stupid civil war's got all the carriage driver's jumpy."

"Yeah, they'd rather lose a few Septims than risk getting caught between the Empire and Ulfric's boys. And we already spent what little we had left on rooms and dinner last night, so no horseback either. It's gonna be a long walk."

The trio was up and out of Candlehearth Hall moments later. They soon passed through the city gates and crossed the stone bridge till they reached the very end at the Windhelm stables. Enkide pulled out a map so her and Uruu could discuss the fastest route there. It would be a four day trek at least, if they chose the road passing Kynesgrove. Any other options would probably take a week or more at best. The only issue was that this route was filled with too many known and unknown dangers. There was an unnervingly large amount of vicious beasts roaming Skyrim's vast wilderness, not including the threat of Bandits and Brigands.

Enkide shrugged, stowing the map in her satchel and making sure her leather armor was fastened tightly to her body. A steel dagger was all she still had and was no better than the iron war axe Uruu was working with. The Orc's banded armor was also worse for wear and could really have used a smith's touch. The little Snow Elf however, was some sort of mage of unknown power.

To have summoned such a colossal Atronach and healed Uruu's wounds so quickly, he must be stronger than they initially thought. With a spell caster like him providing support, the bumps on this road should be just a little bit smoother.

The clouds darkened the sky as the trio went on the move. Uruu put on her iron helmet and saw the first snowflakes silently fall. A blizzard would soon be here and they needed to be past Kynesgrove and at their next checkpoint by the end of the day if they planned to stay on schedule. The big Orc felt something brush her side and looked to see their pint-sized mage keeping pace. He smiled up at her and just received a dismissive snort back.

Enkide took point and squinted her eyes at the lights of the mining village coming into view. There was a sudden boom of thunder that seemed to echo all the way from top of that hill overlooking Kynesgrove. The very sound caught all their attentions right away. They arrived at the village with caution and hands on their weapon handles. There was not a single person in sight, just tools strung about the ground as if everyone dropped what they were doing and ran.

"_Droga!" _cried their tiny mage.

They did not need a translation for that, the two adventurers knew right away what they would see. A scaled beast of legend, not like the one they saw yesterday, but of a dull and dirty white coating that almost blended with the snow coming down. The winged monstrosity clambered into full view from around the local Braidwood inn. There was blood splattered on one side of its neck and some more dripping from its toothy maw.

Its cold and reptilian eyes spotted the trio, and the dragon came slowly crawling towards, fueled by an innate hatred for mortals. Uruu was prepared to face the monster head on as Enkide and the little Elf hid behind her. The mighty creature opened its jaws to give a bellowing roar as it shambled forward, but rather than an unleashing a torrent of elemental destruction from its throat, more blood came gushing forth. With a heavy thud, the gargantuan reptile collapsed. Its horned head rolled onto its side to show off its sword-punctured neck, fine steel driven deep into its scales. Someone had already fought this ancient beast and proved victorious. But what kind of person could do such a thing?

Their heads all snapped at the commotion of someone running from behind the inn. A warrior clad in steel armor, cuffed boots and Nordic gauntlets clutching a banded iron shield came towards them. They wore a fur-lined hood with a wooly scarf adorning their face. The warrior looked their way for a second before retrieving the sword lodged in the dragon's neck. Enkide was about to ask what in all of Nirn was going on at this little mining village, when out of nowhere, the beast's flesh began burning. Scales turned to ash, forming a vibrant burst of colorful wind that began flowing into the nameless warrior. It continued until nothing but a huge skeleton of where the slain dragon once lay defeated.

Both women were at a loss for words, having never witnessed anything like this spectacle in all their lives. The Snow Elf however, went right up to the slayer of winged terrors and shouted something in his unknown tongue.

"_Droga-gerun! Em et ol mos? Son gra'ner!" _

"I sure hope you're saying thank you, and if so, you're welcome," the warrior replied in a feminine voice. The hood was pulled back and the scarf tucked in, revealing a flowing mane of golden hair and a pair sharp blue eyes. A perfect example of a Nord if they ever saw one. "You girls alright? I thought I had him back on the hill, but the big bastard came tumbling down here. I did what I could, but some of the local didn't make it."

"That's a dragon, right?! A real, live, fire breathing dragon?!" Enkide pointed with a shaky finger.

"And ya killed it all by yerself? Impossible…" Uruu stated in disbelief.

"Well you got me there, I couldn't have done it without some help. In fact, I got some friends waiting for me back on the hill. Name's Freya by the way, in case you're wondering."

Uruu grunted, "We weren't."

"You'll have to forgive my sister here, she doesn't play nice with others. I'm Enkide, and this is Uruu. Oh and, um, well actually we're not really sure what this little Elf's name i? It's a long story, but the point is we're heading to Fort Dawnguard. All three of us."

Freya asked if they were looking to hunt down some bloodsuckers, to which Enkide said no and that they were simply running a quest for them, nothing more. The Nord still thought their journey was a valiant one, though that seemed hard to believe considering what just transpired. On that same note, Enkide wanted to know what that surge of power coming and going from the dragon into Frey, was just now.

The steel wearing warrior tried to explain, but it sounded as if Freya herself was not one-hundred percent sure either. She told them that this dragon, Sahloknir, was only the second one she had managed to kill. She also warned them that dragons in general were coming back to life all over the land and that the prophecy of Alduin the World Eater was in motion. Enkide and Uruu would have easily dismissed this as Nord nonsense had they not seen one of these mythical beings for themselves. But if that were the case, then that would mean…

"You're… Dragonborn?!" Enkide stated, almost bewildered by her own words.

"The Grey-beards seem to think so, along with the people of Whiterun. And now, Delphine should too. I better get back to them- oh! If you girls are ever in the city, look me up at the Bannered Mare. You three definitely seem like an interesting bunch. Maybe we could travel together sometime?" Freya grinned, turning around and making her way back up the hill.

Uruu crossed her arms as she stepped next to Enkide and motioned her head towards the road. She knew almost immediately that the Nord had pissed off her sister, and it had nothing to do with Freya herself. It was the stolen opportunity to slay a dragon that had Uruu grumbling. After seeing such a thing appear before them, Enkide could not blame her. No other beast in Skyrim could now offer the violent and glory-seeking Orc the epic battle she so desperately craved. Though if the prophecy Freya mentioned was truly coming to pass, then dragons really were returning. That just meant that Uruu would get her chance sooner or later. She can only hope that they will be better prepared by then.

Leaving behind Kynesgrove, the three of them continued south. They came by the famous geothermal hot springs of the Eastmarch Hold, one of few sanctuaries in Skyrim where the snow cannot stay for long. Uruu suggested they take a dip in one of the pools nearby, but Enkide simply told her that they had a job to do and needed to see it through without too many stops. The Orc rolled her eyes with a sigh and trudged on. Their little Snow Elf companion seemed to want nothing else aside from staring at the unfamiliar landscape. That, and also the occasional quick glance at her well-endowed green friend.

Both women had been throwing around some idle chit-chat when they came upon a wreckage in the middle of the road. It was an overturned wagon used for transporting goods. Though the sight in itself was not all too uncommon to these adventurers, what they saw here was rather disturbing.

They unsheathed their weapons and examined the scene. Enkide found only blood and no driver, nor even a horse. Uruu pointed out that the goods were still mostly intact, the wagon however, had a sizable cleft in the middle. It looked as if a small tree collapsed onto the carriage. They both knew that this was not the case.

"Whaddya think did this sis? Couldn't have been bandits or brigands, they'd have taken everything and left the poor bastard for dead," Uruu noted as she crouched to dig through a wooden chest.

"Whatever did this wasn't after any valuables. It wanted meat."

"Hmm? An animal did this? That would've been my next guess, but whaddya make of this?"

Enkide looked over the deep marks that nearly split the wagon in two and then to Uruu, "Only thing comes to mind, a Giant's club. But they got no business or reason to attack people unprovoked. It doesn't make any sense."

"But this carriage's still on the road sis, and they usually tend to avoid crossing them if possible. And since when have giant's been man-eaters? Last I checked, they like beef way more than they do Nord-meat."

"_Orga vela, em et se grono?"_ The tiny Elf piped up from some few feet away. He stood with both feet in one enormous humanoid footprint and directed their attention to a bunch of tracks leading deeper into the hot springs.

There was solid evidence now that the attack had been from a Giant, but both adventurers were even more lost than before. It made no logical sense for them to start hunting humans. There was an unspoken peace between the thundering behemoths of the Eastmarch Hold and the people living there. The Giants kept to the springs and forests, and in turn, the Nords did not seek to encroach onto their mammoth's pastures.

Enkide frowned with a hand to her mouth, mulling over the incident. She looked towards the road and yelled for Uruu to hurry up. It pained her to say this, but this was not their concern, nor their problem. She knew that with Ulfric busy fighting his civil war, the odds of him sending able-bodied men to kill this monster would be highly unlikely. Her sister was quick to agree with her words. This was not their fight, let someone else handle it. Yet the rewards of this discovery were too good to be true and without any effort on their part. Not like the unlucky carriage driver that chose this route today.

Uruu was the only ransacking the wagon for all it had. She found a slab of venison, some gourds, potatoes, salts, apples, furs, a fine cotton blouse, a few Septims, two bottles of mead and a steel sword. She handed her sister the blade and said that it would definitely be an improvement over the dagger. Enkide put away the blade and saw the Elf eyeing the food as she stored it in her satchel.

"You want an apple or something? Here."

"_Omun, dreg? Vela em et bundro." _Softly replied the little Elf who sank his teeth happily into the sweet, red fruit.

She then thought for a moment of this man-eating Giant sinking its own ugly teeth into some poor farmer's daughter or son. They may be blades for hire, but the heart of an adventurer beats inside Enkide's chest. Uruu saw that face brimming with righteous zeal and dropped her shoulders with an exasperated whine. Her sister was going to slay that Giant and nothing she could say or do would change her mind. They deviated from the road and went in the direction of the tracks, just like the Orc knew Enkide would.

A trail of blood and an upheaval in the dirt showed the traces of something being dragged along the ground. They were on the right path, the Giant had just recently been here. The three started moving past the partly wooded area hugging the road and pushed on till the trees started disappearing and the grassy ground beneath them became barren and warm. Large grey boulders ornamented with crude black and gold marks, told them where they were. The roaring firing with a spit roast of a whole horse, confirmed their notions of the wagon's assailant. The ground then began shaking.

Enkide snatched the little Elf's hand and pushed him behind one of the boulders. Uruu drew her weapon and nodded to her sister. The Redguard scaled one of the rocks and crept to a higher position. She planned to lie in wait for just the right moment.

The heavy feet of the Giant stomped into the camp as the massive club wielding brute had already picked up on their scents. He stood at the typical height of some 12-feet tall and lean with muscle around his lanky limbs. His outfit was made from mammoth fur and the bones of various animals. The lower jaw of a Troll was hung below his bearded chin like a necklace, while the rest of his head was shielded by a mammoth skull lacking its tusks. Dried blood was painted on the sides of his mouth and chest, staining his beard and making him look even more primitive than they usually did.

Uruu shouted and rushed in with her iron war axe reared back in one hand. This monster was vicious, but could not have been any smarter than your average Giant. And true to her predictions, he struck the ground too hastily in the belief that she would have continued her reckless charge. The iron armored Orc stepped on the head of his club and went to strike his mammoth skull with her axe. He smacked Uruu onto her back with a blow from his arm, proving that he was not as dimwitted as he appeared. The Giant slowly lifted his man-sized club to smash the recovering warrior, and grunted at a shooting pain in his right leg. He dropped to one knee and found that a dagger was buried in his calf. His leg felt cold and sluggish as he struggled to stand. The Frostbite Spider venom Enkide poured on the tip was taking effect.

It was more than enough time for Uruu to drive her axe right into the Giant's exposed chest. The beast cried out once more and grabbed the Orc by her neck, raising her high off the ground despite having his one legged momentarily crippled. Uruu was strong, but the Giant's grip had taken her by surprise. His huge palm was squeezing the very air from her lungs as she saw that her axe was still stuck in his chest. The blade being dull and unsharpened, had not been able to cut clean past his ribcage.

The poison's chilling bite faded and the Giant stood, preventing Enkide from stabbing him in the back. His huge foot kicked her away and sent the Redguard rolling along the ground. She struggled to get up from such a hit, watching helplessly as Uruu kicked her legs frantically in the air. The massive being uttered something in that incomprehensible language of his and let his club go, pulling his fist back for a punch that would surely knock Uruu's head clean off. All the kicking however, was not as random as it seemed. Her foot struck the iron war axe clean on the back of the weapon's head and drove the metal farther into the giant's chest, breaking through bone and tearing through flesh.

The lumbering monster unhanded the Orc to clutch his gushing wound in pain and gurgled blood through his roars. Enkide came running back over with pure rage in her eyes and told her sister to get ready. They needed no other words to understand one another, Uruu had been fighting alongside her sister for far too long to not recognize a foolhardy plan when she saw one.

The Orc clasped her hands with open palms and bent her knees to boost Enkide off the ground. The Redguard screamed and jammed her steel sword right through the socket of the mammoth skull and into the Giant's eye. Enkide released her grip as Uruu caught her and the two watched their massive adversary collapse onto his back, dead. They had done it, the man-eating Giant of Steamcrag Camp was no more.

The little Elf appeared from the safety of the boulder to greet the victors with his excited words of mystery. Uruu was retrieving her war axe when the slap came. Not from her, but from Enkide. The diminutive Elf was on his bottom sniffling, a red hand print now ruined his snow white complexion.

"You… little… shit!" Enkide growled. "Why didn't you cast a spell or something, huh? What, were you just gonna watch me and Uruu die? Is that it?"

"_Non, lofrun r-rog… et mon sab! Mon s-sab!"_ the little Elf whimpered.

"Don't give me that! We both know the kind of power you really have. So why in all of Nirn didn't you help us out you little-"

Uruu did not say a single word. She merely stepped in front of Enkide and that was that.

"Uruu, you know I'm right. He could've helped, but instead he chose to cower in fear like some… coward!"

"And? Just what exactly are ya blaming him for? That we died? Because we didn't. In case yer forgetting, there's a dead Giant over there and two badasses standing right here."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Enkide shot back, turning away from her sister. "He did nothing but watch us nearly die. Doesn't that bother you in the slightest?"

"No it doesn't, and it shouldn't bother ya either."

Uruu looked at the sulking Elf and placed her palm on his head. She ran her fingers gently through his fine, silver hair and told him to stop sniveling or else she would give him something to really cry about. He wiped his tears away and nodded. The little Snow Elf was back on his feet and walked right up to Enkide. Uruu stood behind him as he eyed the ground, unable to look the Redguard in the eyes.

"We've never needed anyone else, sis. It's always just been me and ya against the world. We've always managed to pull through somehow, no matter the odds. That didn't change here and it wouldn't have changed in Blackreach. Even if we hadn't found this little guy, we would've gotten out on our own, or died trying. I wouldn't accept anything less, and neither should you."

"You're… y-you're right. I don't know what came over me. Oh Gods, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…" Enkide spoke softly, stepping closer to the gloomy Elf and reaching out to him. She embraced the flinching little mage against her leather tunic and held him there, apologizing once more beneath her breath.

"Hey, hey, alright you made your point, now hands off!" Uruu said while pulling them apart. Enkide was a bit stunned at how forcefully he was pried from her arms, almost half expecting her sister to snatch up the Snow Elf for herself.

Uruu placed her hands behind her head and said with a furrowed brow that they were burning daylight. Enkide knew she was right, but still felt wrong for striking the little Elf the way she did. It was a spur of the moment, an emotional urge driven by something deeper than this simple fight. Regardless, she knew that there must have been a reason for him remaining idle and watching the action from the sidelines. And unless she suddenly learned to speak Snow Elf, there would be no way of knowing what it was.

They eventually finished looting the Giant's camp and the little mage once again approached her to repeat those words from earlier. Except this time they were not muddled by his sniveling and she could only guess from his faint smile that he himself was apologizing for having done nothing. Enkide knows Uruu would probably flip if she tried hugging him again and instead, decided to just smile back.

The three had reached the ruins of Mzulft that Enkide had chosen as their resting point for day one. They encountered a few bandits that had already hunkered down there before them and made short work of the lawless criminals. Uruu managed to pick off some new pieces of armor from their leader and even got a brand new steel war axe in the process. Enkide found some potions and took an imperial bow for herself. The little Snow Elf took some novice robes of restoration and planned to change outfits later that night.

The darkness descended upon the land as Uruu prepared a venison and potato stew and Enkide rounded up all the alcohol she could pick off the bandits. The trio filled their bellies with a warm meal, and for the women, even warmer mead to take off the edge. This far up the mountainside in front of the Dwemer ruins, not many animals dared venture. Something about the unnatural Dwarven infrastructure seemed to keep nature at bay. All the better for a goodnight's rest.

The fire was put out and everyone hopped into their sleeping bags. All but the Elf who did not respond to Uruu calling him to share hers. Enkide made a point that there were others available from the dead bandits, but her sister was not wrong in saying that rolling in the mud would be cleaner than using a bandit's sleeping bag. The little Elf still shook his head and finally gestured between his legs. It had the women puzzled for a second before realizing that he wanted to go relieve himself.

Uruu shooed him away and the pure skinned Elf scampered some ways further down the mountain, unaware of what watched him from the shadows. He finished tinkling and tensed up at the last second. The very hairs on the nape of his neck stood up as his skin rippled with bumps. There was a frighteningly powerful aura emanating from his back, with an unbelievable amount of magicka seemingly pouring out of this singular source. The little Elf turned to meet the ominous presence behind him and began shaking once he saw what floated off the ground before him. It was a being not of Nirn, not of this mortal plane of Mundus. It was a Daedra.

Humanoid in appearance, this Daedra was of a higher order and was not the lesser kind that served the Princes mindlessly. It was of average height, but certainly not build. It's body lacked any notable traits that could be defined as male or female, and it possessed an expressionless visage lacking the essentials. It had but one eye on the right half of its asymmetrical face, no mouth, ears, nose or hair either. Its skin was greyish in color, almost like marble. That single eye of the Daedra did not blink nor did it move. The entire head needed to swivel on its shoulders for it to look around, as if it were a one-eyed owl. It wore a heavy purple cloak of bizarre striped patterns on one side and neatly painted lines on the other.

It hovered silently and spoke with a resonating tone that was neither masculine nor feminine. The Daedra went through several tongues before its telepathic speech made sense to the little Elf and he stood in amazement at hearing someone other than himself speaking his long since dead tongue.

"_The Lord of Madness likes what he sees and he sees many things. Things that should not be, things can be, things that do not want to be and things that must be. Which one are you?"_

"_I do not know this Lord of Madness of whom you speak, begone Daedra! Or else!" _

"_I see… yes I see… you are one that should not be… yes you do not belong, not at all,"_ It's monotone voice droned on. _"Then this one shall make you that which has always been. Struggle now mortal, this one's Lord demands it."_

The Daedra revealed a six-fingered hand that spread open in front of the Elf. His master level seal-of-restraint that he had been wearing since he was frozen, was shattered in seconds by this strange speaking Oblivion dweller as if were a mere novice's ward.

It folded its arms inward to its own chest and told him that the Lord of Madness would be watching from now on. As would others. The Daedra vanished into the night, dissolving into the shadows from whence it came. The loss of his master level alteration spell was felt immediately. His loins stirred with vigor and his thoughts were fuzzy and unclear. He had already experienced a brief collapse of the seal before, when he was sharing a bed with Uruu, but the spell managed to hold. Now the seal was gone altogether and the curse placed on him corrupted his body once more.

He shuffled his way back to the women, stumbling from the amount of desire making him drunk with lust. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his rescuers in any way, shape or form. And after today's events, he wanted nothing more than to make it up to Enkide. He shook the hazy thoughts clouding his mind and tried to set up one of the bandit's bags for himself. But a big green hand came down onto his shoulder, a snort of hot air blew down his neck as well. The Orsimer's words may have been mostly lost on him, but the little Snow Elf understood her gestures well enough. He would share her bed again whether he wanted to or not.

Endnote: Okay, so I lied about the Elf's dialogue getting translated this chapter, but I honestly didn't expect to start a whole adventure from Windhelm to Fort Dawnguard. I had originally planned to have them "fast travel" or just imply that they traveled far, and I'm kinda glad I didn't. The journey is just as important as the destination, or something like that…


End file.
